Corn-planter



No. 770,682. I PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904. W. DRAPER.

CORN PLANTER.

PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

W. DRAPER.

CORN PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1904.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

E uua- 1 i I I ,1

Q M 2 Q0 W W No. 770,682- PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

" W. DRAPER.

CORN PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1904.

NO MODEL, 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5] uuenfoz W/Zz'aw 2767067;

TJNTTED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT Orricn.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,682, dated September 20, 1904.

Application filed March 3, 1904.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DRAPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Zanesville, in the county of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to corn-planters, and the primary object of the same is to provide a simple and effective means for opening the conveying-spouts at regular intervals and synchronously to actuate depending marking devices located at opposite sides of the machine, and thereby facilitate the dropping of corn evenly over a large tract.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a corn-planter having marking mechanism cooperating therewith which is regularly actuated independent of knotted wires or analogous devices, and thus materially reduce the cost of planters of this character and expedite the planting operation.

A still further object of the invention is to introduce in a corn-planter an organization of elements unitedly contributing to the effectiveness of the planting operation and requiring comparatively little care or attention, the said elements being of a strong and durable nature.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully hereinafter set forth. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the front part of the machine in section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of themachine. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine to one side of the plane on which the section shown by Fig. 3 is taken. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the machine.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts inthe several views.

The numeral 1 designates a frame of any suitable dimensions and having braces or other reinforce structures arranged at intervals to strengthen the same. This frame is disposed Serial No. 196,330. (No model.)

on a rear axle 2, provided with ground-wheels 3, and at the rear a drivers seat is adapted to be arranged. To the front of the frame, suitable draft devices are attached. On opposite sides of the front part of the frame seedboxes or hoppers f are disposed, and depending from the bottoms thereof are dropping chutes or spouts 5, which are open at their rear sides and practically closed at their front extremities, as shown by Fig. 2. Connecting with the lower terminals of the front sides of the chutes or spouts 5 are runners or furrowopeners 6, which have their front extremities curved upwardly and connected to the front end of the frame. In the bottom of each box or hopper 4 a rotatable feed-plate 7 is horizontally disposed andhas feed-openings 8 formed therein, said plate being arranged under a supplemental bottom 9, having an inlet-opening 10 therein, through which the corn passes to the said plate 7. The plate 7 is centrally journaled and has a depending circular rack 11 on the under side continually held in mesh with a bevel-pinion 12, keyed on a shaft 13, extending across the machine from one box or hopper i tothe other and terminating outside the said boxes or hoppers, as clearly shown by Fig. 2. The shaft 13 has a sprocket-wheel 14E thereon, which is surrounded by a chain belt 15, also engaging a sprocket 16 on the axle 2, the latter being rotated by the ground-wheels 3, and by this means the plate 7 in the individual boxes or hoppers 4 are simultaneously actuated and are so timed that the corn will be permitted to simultaneously pass therefrom into the chutes or spouts.

At opposite sides of the front extremity of the machine, in advance of the boxes or hoppers 4, are uprights 17, having upper vertically slotted or bifurcated extremities in which rearwardly extending arms 18 are loosely mounted, said arms being connected to the opposite ends of an oscillating rod or bar 19, having bearing in the upper ends of short standards 20. Movably connected to the rear ends of the arms 18 are depending marker bars 21, which move through the frame adjacent to the outer sides of the spouts 5 and are adapted to have their lower free ends projected into the ground over which the machine moves for obvious purposes in a corn planting operation. Extending rearwardly from the center of the oscillating rod or bar 19 is a motion-imparting arm 22, having a depending forwardly-inclined finger or projection 23 at its rear end, which is held in continual contact with a drop-disk 24, fixed on the shaft 13 and formed with a V-shaped recess 25, into which the said finger or projection 23 is adapted to move. The disk 24 has a circular periphery up to the recess 25, and as long as the finger or projection 25 engages the periphery the markerdoars 21 are held elevated. As soon as said finger or projection reaches the recess 25 of the disk the motion-imparting arm 22 assumes a clownward angle of inclination and simultaneously therewith the arms 18 and marker-bars gravitate, by reason of their weight, to cause the lower ends of said bars to engage the ground and mark the latter. As soon as the disk 24 rotates sufiiciently the finger or projection 23 is cleared from the recess 25 and the markerbars are elevated, it being understood that the motion transmitting or controlling arm 22 is rigidly secured to the oscillating rod or bar 19. This operation is very readily carried on at the time that the corn is delivered from the spouts 5. The uprights 17 steady the arms 18 in their movement and insure an easy operation of the marker-bars 21, the openings in the frame through which said bars move being large enough to permit them to have free gravitating operation.

On the upper part of the forward extremity of the frame at opposite sides horizontallydisposed longitudinally extending bearingstrips 26 are arranged, and thereon is mounted a transversely-extending rock-shaft 27, on which are fixed crank-arms 28, which extend above and below said shaft and have their upper ends rigidly attached by a cross-rail 29. Connected to one or both of the crankarms 28 are one or more springs 30, said one or more springs being also secured to the frame in advance of the arms. These springs in single or dual'use are attached to thelower ends of one or both arms and operate to restore the said arms and rail 29 to normal position. The lower ends of the arms 28 have connecting-rods 31 secured thereto, one to each, and said arms extend through slots 32 in the upper portions of the front sides of the spouts 5 and have their lower ends attached to gates 33, arranged in the spouts and pivoted at their upper ends. The gates are normally held at a forward angle of inclination, as shown by Fig. 2, and have their lower ends bearing against the inner surface of the front sides of the spouts to form a closing means for the latter, the spring-controlled arms 28 holding the gates in this normal position.

Extending at an intermediate point rearwardly from the rail 29 is an operating-bar or wiper-arm 34, projecting at an upward angle of inclination and having its rear end continually held in engagement with the under side of a horizontally-disposed cam-disk 35, fixed on the upper end of a vertical shaft 36, having bearing in straps 37 and 38, arranged over each other and forming part of the frame. On the lower end of the shaft 36 is a bevelpinion 39, which is held in continual mesh with a bevel-gear 40 on the shaft 13. The cam-disk 35 has a depending cam projection 41, with a lower downwardly-inclined face 42, terminating abruptly at the point of maximum dependence of said cam projection where a vertically-straight rail 43 is constructed in relation to the under side of the disk 35.

The wiper-arm 34 remains in the position shown as long as it engages the under horizontal face of the disk 35; but as soon as the lower inclined face 42 of the projection 41 comes in contact with the rear end of said wiper-arm the latter is gradually depressed against the resistance of the spring or springs 30, connected to the arms 28, and the arms 28 are moved forwardly at their upper extremities and rearwardly at their lower ends, and through the medium of the connectingrods 31 the gates 33 are simultaneously opened. This operation of the gates is in timed relation to the operation of the plate 7 and releases the corn immediately after such latter operation and also at the same time the marker-bars 21 are depressed.

The improved planter will be found exceptionally convenient in its use, and the corn can be expeditiously and reliably planted therewith at a reduced cost and with more expedition in view of the fact that marking wires or cables are dispensed with and do not have to be continually changed in their position.

Changes in the details of construction of the several parts, as well as the proportions and dimensions, may be made at will without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a corn-planter, the combination of seedboxes having depending spouts, a shaft extending into said seedboxes to control the feed thereof, hinged gates extending downwardly through the spouts and normally in closed condition, a rock-shaft having terminals connected to said gates and disposed in advance of the latter, and means for actuating the said rock-shaft from the first-named shaft to simultaneously open the gates.

2. In a corn-planter, the combination of seedboxes having movable feeding devices therein, a shaft having terminals extending into said seedboxes for actuating the feeding devices,spouts depending from the seed boxes, gates extending downwardly through the spouts and normally closed, a rock-shaft having opposite terminal portions connected to said gates, and means projecting from the rock-shaft for actuation by the said shaft to open the gates simultaneously with the operation of the feeding devices to provide an out- 3. In a corn-planter, the combination of seedboxes having depending spouts, feedcontrolling devices in the feed-boxes, a shaft for operating said feed-controlling devices having terminals extending into the said boxes, spouts depending from the feed-boxes and having movable gates therein, a rockshaft having terminal portions thereof attached to said gates and provided with means for operating the first-named shaft to open the gates when the feed-controlling devices in the boxes are opened to permit the seed to drop into the spouts, and marker devices at opposite sides of the machine which are also operated simultaneously with the opening of the gates and feed-controlling devices.

I. In a corn-planter, the combination of oppositely-disposed seedboxes having lower outlets, feed-controlling mechanism in the seedboxes, a shaft for operating said mechanism having terminals extending into said boxes, vertically-reciprocating markers, a rock-shaft to which said markers are connected, and means between the rock-shaft and the firstnamed shaft for operating the markers at intervals.

5. In a corn-planter, the combination of seedboxes at opposite portions thereof, provided with depending spouts and feed-controlling mechanism, gates movably arranged in said spouts, a shaft for operating said mechanism having terminals extending into the said boxes, a horizontally-disposed cam-disk arranged above and having means engaging said shaft for rotating the same, a rock-shaft having terminal portions thereof attached to the gates, and rigid means extending from the rock-shaft and engaging the under side of said disk whereby the rock-shaft will be actuated at intervals.

6. In a corn-planter, the combination of seedboxes having feed-con trolling mechanism therein and depending outlet-spouts, a shaft for actuating the said mechanism, verticallyreciprocating markers outside of the boxes, gates located in the spouts, a rock-shaft connected to the markers and having a rearwardlyprojecting arm, a rock-shaft connected to the gates and also provided with a rearwardlyprojecting arm, a recessed disk on the said first-named shaft engaging a portion of the arm of the rock-shaft connected to the markers, and a cam-disk operatively connected to and located above the first-named shaft and engaged by the arm from the rock-shaft connected to the gates.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM DRAPER.

Witnesses:

IDA ALLWooD, FRANK L. REED. 

